OpenAI Sued after ChatGPT Health Allegedly Suggesting Pastor Delay Treatment
JAKARTA - OpenAI is facing a lawsuit after the ChatGPT Health feature allegedly provided advice that made a pastor in the United States postpone a medical examination. The plaintiff assessed that the chatbot used an approach that took advantage of his religious beliefs so that he chose not to immediately consult a doctor.
The lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of San Francisco by Scott Winters, a pastor from Florida. In the lawsuit document, Winters said ChatGPT responded to his health complaints by saying the symptoms he experienced were likely only "a small part of a long journey" and that "God did not design your body to constantly experience failure."
According to the lawsuit, Winters interacted with the ChatGPT Health feature for about six weeks before finally seeing a medical professional. After undergoing an examination, the doctor diagnosed a dangerous blockage in the arteries in both lungs.
During his conversation with ChatGPT, Winters claimed that the chatbot advised him to stay in a recliner-bound chair until he experienced up to 10 additional episodes of symptoms. According to the doctors who later treated him, lack of physical activity was suspected to have worsened his condition by helping form a blockage in the blood vessels.
As a result of the condition, Winters said he now has to undergo long-term recovery and is no longer able to carry out his work.
"In his statement, Winters said, 'I not only almost died, but also lost my job, career, service, home, and everything.'"
Through the lawsuit, Winters accused OpenAI and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sam Altman, of practicing medicine without authority. He asked for compensation and asked for the launch of ChatGPT Health to be temporarily halted until the feature was declared safe by independent auditors.
Winters' legal team also argued that ChatGPT's tendency to provide user-friendly responses and its convincing delivery made their client too reliant on the chatbot. The lawsuit also stated that the use of Winters' religious identity in the conversation allegedly led him to ignore his family's advice to seek medical help immediately.
On the other hand, OpenAI has stated that ChatGPT is designed as an aid and not a substitute for professional health care workers. The company also periodically reminds users that the chatbot's responses may contain errors and should not be the only basis for making medical decisions.
This case comes shortly after OpenAI launched ChatGPT Health more broadly in the United States. The feature allows users to connect medical records and personal health data to ChatGPT to help understand the results of health checks, monitor body conditions, and prepare for consultations with doctors.
Until this news was written, there was no court ruling regarding the lawsuit. The charges filed by Scott Winters are still claims in the legal process and have not been proven in court.